Saint Patrick’s Day, celebrated on March 17th, is one of the most recognised dates in the Irish cultural calendar. Here is a selection of tin whistle tunes for the occasion, with sheet music, whistle tabs and audio. As usual scroll to the end of the page to download the sheet music & tabs in pdf format.
Halloween has always been tied to music and storytelling in Ireland. The ancient festival of Samhain marked the time when spirits were close, and music carried both celebration and a touch of the eerie. In this article, you’ll find whistle tabs, audio, and sheet music for five Irish tunes with a Halloween connection, each rooted in folklore, myth, or seasonal tradition. I play each tune at moderate speed with ornamentation. Scroll to the bottom of the page for download links, including free tin whistle sheet music pdf file. The music is played on a Dixon Trad whistle.
The pagan Hallowe’en at the end of summer was a time of grief for the decline of the sun’s glory, as well as a harvest festival of thanksgiving to him for having ripened the grain and fruit
A selection of Tin Whistle tunes to play in your Valentine’s Day sessions, with sheet music, audio examples and whistle tabs. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the sheet music & tabs download
Contents
Some easy Christmas songs that go well on the low whistle. The low whistle is the bass version of the tin whistle, and plays an octave lower in low D. I play each tune twice, once with ornamentation and once more slowly and plainly. These tunes can of course also be played on tin whistle.
As usual, you can download the sheet music pdf booklet at the bottom of the page. If you have any questions, message me in the comments!
These tunes are all quite simple on the low whistle, with no notes above high F and melodies that are linear enough to make breath control easily manageable (no octave jumps, for example) The challenge of the low whistle is the grip, and ensuring that all the holes are adequately covered, particularly for the lower notes E and D. Any leakage of air in the fingers can result in these notes refusing to sound at all.
Tip: if you’re having trouble with holes leaking, try a descending scale from B, one note at a time, to try and isolate which finger is causing problems!
Alhough Thanksgiving isn’t a traditional feast day in ireland, Irish all over America celebrate thanksgiving every year. 6 Irish tunes you can play at Thanksgiving, for tin whistle, with audio recordings, sheet music & whistle tabs (fingering charts). Scroll to the bottom of the page to download the free pdf sheet music booklet.
It is a New England Autumn in 1621. The beautiful gold and crimson leaves contribute to the festive atmosphere that blankets Plimoth village. The smell of roasting Turkeys adds to the ambience. The little village’s fifty English settlers are preparing a harvest festival in celebration of having survived the previous year’s great hardships and brought in their first crops in the New World.
Historically, the Irish have looked to America as a beacon of hope, a refuge from the troubles back home. During the mid-19th century, the Great Hunger—better known as the Irish Potato Famine—drove more than a million Irish to seek new horizons. The emigrants brought not only their hopes and dreams but also their cultural traditions. They gradually integrated into American society, an integration symbolically represented in their participation in Thanksgiving, a ritual meal that marked their transformation from foreigners to American citizens. As the Irish climbed the social ladder, their involvement in American rituals like Thanksgiving played a crucial role in this transition.
Irish immigrants and their descendants have made significant contributions to various aspects of American life, including politics, industry, organized labor, religion, literature, music, and art. These contributions reflect the rich cultural heritage they brought with them and how they influenced the society they adopted. Remembering and sharing the history of the Irish in America is essential, particularly during Thanksgiving, as it reinforces the values of endurance, community, and gratitude. The holiday table serves as a meeting place for the past and the present, a place where stories of old are passed down and new memories are made.
5 traditional Irish Christmas songs for tin whistle, with sheet music, fingering charts and audio. Scroll to the end of the page to download the pdf file with sheet music and whistle tablatures for all 5 songs. The songs are all played on a D tin whistle (I use a Dixon Trad on these recordings) See also : 5 Easy Christmas Songs for Tin Whistle
1: Don Oíche Úd i mBeithil
An Irish-language Christmas carol of unclear origin ; it may date as far back as the 7th century. The lyrics speak of “that night in Bethlehem” (Beithil in Irish is Bethlehem). It’s one of the easier Irish Christmas carols to play on the tin whistle.
2: Good People All (the Wexford Carol)
“Good People All, This Christmas Time” is a famous Irish carol said to originate from Enniscorthy in Wexford around the 15th-16th century. The tin whistle arrangement is quite challenging with several half-holed notes.
3: Now to Conclude our Christmas Mirth
One of the Kilmore Carols. The parish of Kilmore has a unique tradition of singing Christmas Carols that is kept alive to this day ; there are 13 carols in all, for each of the 12 days of Christmas and one for Christmas day.
4: Duncormick Mummers Jig
A jig from the mummers or wrenboys tradition of St Stephen’s Day.
5: Ye Sons of Men
Another Kilmore Carol, also known as the Third Carol for Christmas Day. It’s a tune I usually prefer to play on a Bb or C tin whistle.
5 easy Christmas songs for tin whistle, suitable for beginners or kids,or anyone who just wants to play Christmas Carols! From the collection Tin Whistle for Children Volume 1. With sheet music, whistle tabs and audio recordings (I play each tune with & without ornamentation, on a D tin whistle). Download link to the sheet music at the end of the page.
An Chúirt Chruitireachta Festival – Termonfeckin
The Irish harp is celebrated by An Chúirt Chruitireachta, one of the premier international festivals. The diverse and expansive world of harping, both in Ireland and internationally, is explored through the 2024 festival theme, “Voice and Harp.”
Festival Details
This year’s festival will be held from Sunday, 30th June to Friday, 5th July at An Grianán, Termonfeckin, Co. Louth. Options for residential and day-student bookings will be offered alongside evening concerts. Participants will be engaged with fellow harpers, a deeper understanding of Irish music, song, and dance will be gained, and the intricacies of the harp will be explored. An exceptional celebration of harp music is promised by the panel of tutors and talented artists.
For full details, visit harpfestival.ie
Book tickets at https://bit.ly/harpfestivaltickets2024
Evening Concerts at An Grianán (8 pm):
Workshops at An Grianán (2.30 pm and 3.30 pm):
Lunchtime Concerts at the Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda (1 pm):
Liam O’Flynn, also known as Liam Óg Flynn, was an Irish uilleann piper. Born on 15 September 1945 in Kill, County Kildare, he was as a prominent figure in the world of Irish traditional music.
Paddy’s Gone to France, a reel to learn on low whistle with sheet music and low whistle tabs
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